Car-loading apparatus.



No. 746,250. PATENTBDDEO. 8, 1903.

' R. BAG-GALBY.

GAR LOADING APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1903.

4 sums-sum 2'.

H0 MODEL.v

mvsgrrol'r No. 746,250. PATENT-ED DEC. 8, 1903.

R. BAGGALEY. CAR LOADING APPARATUS.

No MODEL APPLICATION FILED APB. 14, 1903. 4 SHBETS SHBBT 3' INVENTOR rm:mmms PETERS co..*vuofaumon'whsummowIII c.

WITNESSES 'PATBNTED DEC. s, 1903.

R. BAGGAIIEY. GAR LOADING APPARATUS. uruouxoiw mum APR. 14. 1903.

K0 MODEL.

- INVENTOR WITNESSES n1: "cams PETERS co PHOYO-LITHQ. wAsnmm'ou. o. c.-

hid-746,250.

Patented'iiecember 8, 1903. I

PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH BAGGALEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-LOADING APPARATUS.

fiPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 746,250, datedDecember S, 1903.

. Application filed April 14, 1903. Serial lio- 15Z,533 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH BAGGALEY, of Pittsburg, Allegheny county,Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Oar-Loading Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of my improvedcar-loading apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing abox-car in dot-ted outline with the machine in position to load the car.Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of the counting apparatuswhich I employ at the delivery end of the chute, which receives the pigsor other. articles from the conveyer and delivers them into the loadingapparatus. Fig. 4 is a plan view onthe same scale as Figs. 1 and 2,showing the car in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section onthe line V V of Fig. 4, showing the tributing-arms.

distributing-arm. Fig. 6 is an enlarged crosssection on the line VI VI,showing the construction of the curved chute by which the able source ofsupply and delivering them for shipment into box-cars or other vehicleswithout the necessityof employing manual labor.

This loading apparatus is preferably a part,

of a complete system for treating copper or other ores and storing andhandlingthe same when cast into pigs or like articles, although it maybe used independently thereof to ad'- vantage, since by its use-manuallabor is practically dispensed, with and the pigs or other articles areevenly and automatically distributed upon the floor of the caror othervehicle.

The pigs of refined'copper after having been cast are weighed,marked,and storedin suitable racks of an automatic warehousing-machine,beneath which runs a conveyor upon which the pigs or other articles aredeposited and by which they are carried to the loading apparatus, whichforms the subject-matter of As each pig is delivered to theloading-machine it actuates mechanism by which when the requisite numberofpigs have been received and loaded an alarm will be given. In order tosimplify the construction,the pigs are preferably delivered to theloading apparatus by the conveyer from the warehouse at a suflicientelevation to enable the distribution to be eifected by gravity, andbytheir own movement are automatically deposited upon the car-floor inproper quantities and in the proper location. About three hundred pigsof two hundred pounds each constitute a car-load and are loaded with onehalf the number at each end of the car, the

pigs being shunted to the desired end by a tilting trough-sectioncentrally located with respect to the curved delivery-chutes.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 2 represents a conveyor whichleads from a warehousing-machine or other suitable source of supply ofpigs of metal.

'3 is a chute provided with'a registering device. This comprises an arm.4, mountedon a shaft 5 and provided with an arm -6,to which is secureda spring 7and a pawl 8, which engages a ratchet-wheel 9, having upon itsshaft 9 a pinion 10, which meshes, with-a larger toothed wheel 10',which is provided with a pin or projection 11, which at one point in itsrotation engages an arm 12, mounted on a rock-shaft 13, to which issecured an arm 14, having a rod-link connection 15 with a hook or detent16, pivoted to the under side ofa tilting trough-section 17 and arrangedto engage a bracket 18. The tilting trough-section 1-7 is'also providedwith a rod 19, which preferably extends downwardly to a convenient pointso that theoperator may use it to set the trough in the position shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2. automatically tip the trough when the hook'or detent is released by the pin 11 engaging A spring 17 is employed tothe arm 12 when'the lastpig sufiicientto I complete the consignment hasbeen received.

This movement of the arms 12 and '13 also actuates a cord or-chain '20andoperates an alarm-whistle or other signal, which notifies the properperson that the car is loaded to full capacity or for any other purposethat may be desired. The tipping troughsection 1 17 is pivotally mountedupon a suitable fr'amework and when in the position shown in full linesin Fig. 2 will deliver a succession of pigs to the left-hand end of thecar. A pair of stationary chute-sections 22, preferably spirally curvedand inclined downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are secured to asuitable framework, and one end is provided with a flanged connection22, by which it is united to a similar flange upon the upper end of themovable delivery end of the spiral inclined chute 23, by which the pigsare delivered to the distributing-arms 24, supported by hangers 25 fromtrolleys 26, which maybe moved in and out of the car if it be a boxcarthrough the doors or into and out of position for distribution if thecar be a flat-car or other vehicle. The trolley 26 is mounted upon rails27, supported upon suitable beams. The end 28 of the distributing-arm 24is preferably made heavy, so as to act as a counterweight for theopposite longer end of the arm. The end of the distributing-arm in frontof the chute 23 is preferably somewhat inclined downwardly, and theinterior of the arm is provided with antifriction-rollers 29, Fig. 5,spaced at suitable intervals and supported by angles 30, secured to theside plates of the arm 24. Guiding-bars 31 for the pigs are alsoprovided, as shown in Fig. 5. As the pigs B slide over the rollers 29and between the guides 31 they pass under an arm 32, secured to arock-shaft 33, having an arm 34, a link 35 connecting it to an arm 36 ona rock-shaft 37, Fig. 8, upon the opposite end of which is secured anupwardly-extending arm 38, to which a pawl 89 is secured. This pawl 39moves the ratchet-wheel 40 one tooth for each pig that passes under thearm 32, and after a predetermined number of pigs have passed over theouter end of the arm 24 a pin or projection e1 engages an arm or finger42, secured to the arm 43, and through the rod 44: operates the arm 45,which actuates the hook 46, which is secured to the same shaft as thearm 45. The hook 46 engages a rod &6, which extends between the arms 47,which are pivoted to the frame of the arms 24 at 47. To the free end ofthe arms 47 are secured links 48, which support a pivoted section 49,which forms a drop-bottom when the hooks 46 are disengaged from the rods46', as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. When the pivoted section 49 isdropped, the next series of pigs are discharged through this opening,and after a predetermined number have been so distributed the pin 41engages a similar finger, which operates link and lever connectionswhich are like those past described, and the next pivoted section 50 isdropped. This is repeated until the pivoted sections 51, 52, and 53 havebeen thus operated and the pigs distributed automatically and evenlyupon the car-floor at the end of the car. In this manner in a totalcar-load of three hundred pigs twenty-five are first delivered in a pileout of the end of the chute.

The ratchet mechanism by the passage of the first twenty-five pigs Willthen open door 1-9, so that the second twenty-five pigs will bedelivered in another pile nearer the center of the car. When fifty pigshave thus passed, the second door 50 will have been opened and a thirdpile of twenty-five pigs will be so deposited still nearer the center ofthe car. In like mannerdoors 51, 52, and 53 will be opened in regularsequence, and through each such door similar piles consisting oftwenty-five pigs each will be deposited each in succession nearer to thecenter of the car. Thus one hundred and fifty pigs,or0ne-l1alf ofacarload, will be automatically deposited in six even piles oftwenty-five pigs each diagonally across the floor of one-halfof the car.When this point has been reached, Iheratchet mechanism then shifts ortilts the platform 17, (shown in Fig. 3,) and in like manner the nextsucceeding one hundred and fifty pigs will be deposited through theother door of the car and onto or over the other half of the floor ofsuch car and diagonally across the samein six evenly-distributed pilesof twentyfive pigs each. It will therefore be apparent that when the carhas thus automatically received its en tire load-consisting,forinstance, of three hundred pigs-such load will be evenlydistributed andproperly balanced over the entire floor-surface of suchcar in twelve piles consisting of twen ty-f1ve pigs each, orapproximately sixty thousand pounds. This tonnage constitutes theordinary car-load in shipping copper. Hence it is quoted here simply asan illustration. Any other desired tonnage may be so deliveredautomatically over the floor-space of a railroad-car or elsewhere by asimple arrangement of the ratchet mechanism so that it will produce thedesired result. A tally having been kept, the operator pulls the rod 19,tilts the trough 17, and the next series of pigs are delivered in likemanner to the opposite end of the car. As the last pig for the car-loador consignment is delivered to the loading apparatus the alarm-whistleis blown and the tilting trough is tipped into the position shown inFig. 2. The arms 24 are then moved out of the way, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 4:,

the joint 22 being first disconnected to permit this to be done. Theloaded car may then be moved out of the way and an empty car moved intoposition, after which the arms are projected through the door-opening ofthe cars if a box-car is to be loaded and the curved chutes are attachedtogetherat 22' and the loading of the car proceeded with, as alreadydescribed.

By the use of this apparatus the cars may be loaded rapidly, pigs may beplaced upon the floor of the car in the proper position, thedistribution being automatically provided for, and the position of thedistributing or delivering arms, being maintained above the level of thepig orother articles delivered to the car, does not interfere with thefree withdrawal ment of pigs is completed.

The pivoted sections 49 50 51, 650., Fig. 8,

' are shown in the drawings as being reset by hand; but, if desired,automatic means may be provided to return them to their closed or raisedposition.

The ad vantages of my invention will be apparent to those familiar withthe difficulties experenced in the handling of metal pigs-and likearticles, since by the use of this apparatus much time and labor aresaved, and the apparatus being simple in construction is reliable andnot likely to get out of order and when not in use may be moved out ofthe way, so that no obstruction is aiforded to the movement of the carsinto and out of position.

Many variations in the mechanical construction of this device willsuggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, and changes in the form andarrangement of the partsmay tion.

I claim 1. A loading device for cars having a distributor adapted toextend over the car-floor, and adapted to deliver articles thereto, andmeansactuated by passage of-the articles and adapted to discharge thearticles at various parts of the distributer; substantially asdescribed. I

2. A' loading device for cars having a distributor adapted to extendover the car-floor,

. and means for discharging the articles at various parts of thedistributor, said distributer having two arms extending over thecarfioor in opposite directions; substantially as described. I

3. A loading device for cars having a distributor adapted to extend overthe car-floor, and adapted to deliver articles t-heret0,- saiddistributer having movable sections actuated by passage of the articles,and adapted to open and discharge the articles at various parts of thedistributor; substantially'as described.

at. A loading'device for cars having an elevated source of supply, achute, and a distributer adapted to receive articles from said elevatedsource of supply, said distributor being adapted to extend over thecar-floor, and means for discharging the articles at various parts ofthe distributor, said distributer having two arms extending over thecarfloor in opposite directions; substantially as described.

5. Aloadingdevice forcars having two arms extendin gin oppositedirections over the carfloor, an elevated source of supply, chutesextending from said elevated source of supply to said distributing-arms,a switch located at the junction-point of said chutes, and mechanism bywhich said switch is operated to cause the pigs or otherarticles to bedischarged intothe distributing-arm, according to the deflection giventhe article by the position of said switch; substantially as described.

6. A loading device for cars having a distributing-arm arranged toextend above the floor of the car, openings in the bottom portion ofsaid arm provided with closing devices, and mechanism arrangedtoautomatically release said closing devices; substantially asdescribed.

7. A loading device for cars havingadownwardly-inclined distributing-armprovided with antifriction-rollers arranged to extend above the floor ofthe car, openings in the bottom portion of said arm provided withclosing devices, and mechanism arranged to automatically release saidclosing devices; substantially as described.

8. A loading device for cars arranged to receive and distribute metalpigs and the like upon the floor of the car, having a distributing-armarranged to extend above the floor of the car, openings in the bottomportion of said arm provided with closing devices, and

, RALPH BAGGALEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMING, JOHN MILLER.

